The Next Ruler
by Emmalia Pendragon
Summary: A strange prophecy sends Nina and the gang down to the library in order to search for information. However, the group gets more then they bargained for when they discover that the next ruler of Egypt is going to be born to none other than Nina and Eddie. A teenage pregnancy coupled with the fact that the child might be taken from them is enough to cause chaos. Set post-Season 2.
1. Prophecy

**So I originally wasn't going to post this story until I completed it because I have a horrible habit of not finishing stories. However, I noticed that the HOA fanfiction community is becoming less active so I decided to post the first chapter to see how people respond to it. Also, I must note that I honestly know very little about Egyptian mythology, and therefor everything about it in this story is made up. Also, I wrote this first chapter back in 2013 I believe, so the logic might not seem very plausible. Please bear with me, I promise it gets better in later chapters!**

 **Sibuna = Nina, Eddie, Fabian, Alfie, Amber, and Patricia**

 **Joy and Jerome are sometimes honorary members, but not full time.**

 **Also, for the sake of the plot (and to make it easier) the year is 2014, and it is March.**

 **A/N IMPORTANT- So, I started writing this almost three years ago. I stopped writing it for a long time and finally got back to it. I had a bunch written before I stopped though, so rather than rewrite everything I'm going to use what I already had and add on from there. Ten points to whoever can guess where I stopped writing and then resumed three years later.**

 **Warnings for this chapter:**

 **Nina and Eddie are thrown for a loop when they discover a shocking secret about their destiny together.**

 _"The time is near. The next ruler of Egypt will soon be here."_

Nina woke up with a start. These words had been chanted in her mind, over and over again until she had finally managed to leave her dreamscape. Senkhara had only been gone two days, and she was already hearing strange voices again.

Nina groaned when she realized that Amber was already gone. If Amber was up already, that meant that Nina was the last one to wake up, which meant she would attract a world of attention to her when she joined the others at the table.

Nina was prompt in her attempts to get dressed and do her hair. There were still two weeks until the end of the school year, and Nina didn't want to leave looking like a mess.

After taming her wild bedhead hair, Nina grabbed her bag and headed downstairs.

 _"The next ruler is upon us,"_ Another strange voice hissed. Nina had to stop herself from screaming. She was hoping it was just a dream, a side effect of Senkhara. But Nina knew that hearing voices during the daytime was not a side effect of anything. It meant that something was going to happen. Something bad.

Nina walked cautiously into the dining room. Her earlier guess was correct. Every other member of Anubis had already taken their place at the table, leaving Nina's seat as the only vacant one.

"We need to talk," Nina muttered to Eddie, who was sitting at the end of the table, opposite where Nina usually sat.

"Right now?" Eddie asked, looking down at his plateful of food.

"Yes," Nina said. Eddie seemed to take the hint, because he pushed his plate away from himself and stood up. Nina and Eddie exited the dining room, leaving the rest of the teens confused.

"I wonder what that's about," Fabian noted, slightly jealous that Nina chose to talk to Eddie instead of him.

Nina led Eddie to the Frobisher library. Her conversation topic would most likely lead to some quick pre-school researching.

"So what's up?" Eddie asked.

"I had a dream last night," Nina stated.

"So? Doesn't everyone?" Eddie questioned.

Nina rolled her eyes. "Part of being a part of all of this Egyptian stuff includes having dreams that actually mean something."

"So what happened in your dream?"

"I didn't see anything. I just heard a voice, a woman's voice. She kept on saying "The time is near. The next ruler of Egypt will soon be here." And then I woke up, thinking it was just some weird Senkhara dream. But I heard the same voice again when I was walking downstairs."

"Whoa," Was all Eddie could say. He had only been a part of Sibuna for two days. Creepy voices were a bit much.

"Since you are the Osirian, I was wondering if you had any weird dreams," Nina asked.

Eddie shook his head. "No. Ever since I banished Senkhara, I've been pretty dead in the magic zone."

"Well, now is usually the time when we raid the library for answers," Nina informed the American boy, who groaned in response.

"Great. I didn't know being a part of your Scooby club meant doing extra homework," Eddie mumbled, reaching for a book on the shelf beside him. Nina followed suit, grabbing a dusty blue book. She cracked open the spine and was met with a cloud of dust in her face.

One hour and no results later, Nina nearly jumped out of her skin as Eddie exclaimed, "It's already 8 o'clock!"

"We've been here for an hour?" Nina panicked. "I promised Mr. Sweet that I wouldn't be late for the rest of school!"

"Well we are already half an hour late so I wouldn't bet on that," Eddie said. Nina shot him a quick death stare before quickly placing the books she had read back in their respective spots. The duo quickly grabbed their book bags and started running towards the school.

"So does being part of Sibuna mean I am going to miss more school?" Eddie asked while they were running. "Because I'm totally okay with that."

Nina chose to ignore Eddie's attempts to justify his missed school hours. After a few minutes, Eddie and Nina reached the door to their first period classroom. Lucky for them, it was the class taught by Mr. Sweet.

"So what's our cover story?" Nina asked.

"We were making out and lost track of time?" Eddie suggested, a smirk on his face. Nina scoffed and took this opportunity to whack Eddie with a book. "Okay, bad idea."

"Sorry to remind you, but you are dating Patricia. She would kill you if you cheated on her," Nina said.

"Let's just go in. I'll take the fall," Eddie offered. "My dad is still trying to get me to forgive him for, well, everything. Detention won't help his case."

Nina nodded, grateful to catch a break for once. Maybe having Eddie in Sibuna wouldn't be so bad after all. Eddie opened the door to the science classroom. Immediately all attention was turned towards the two late American students.

"I see you two finally decided to grace us with your presence!" Mr. Sweet scolded. "Do you care to explain yourselves?"

"It was my fault," Eddie said, almost as if he were testing his father's patience. "I needed her help and we lost track of time."

"Alright, just don't be late again, or there will be consequences," Mr. Sweet promised. Eddie smirked and saluted his father, causing the class to giggle. Nina scanned the classroom for open seats. The seat next to Fabian had been filled by Mick, who was sitting in on lessons until he returned to Australia. The only open seats were at an empty lab station near the back of the classroom. Nina and Eddie quickly went to the empty lab station and pulled out their textbooks.

Nina jumped as she felt her phone buzzing.

 _Did something happen?_ Fabian had texted her.

 _Tell the others to meet in my room after school._ Nina responded. She looked up at Fabian, who had a worried look on his face. Fabian then turned to Patricia and whispered something in her ear, before having Patricia pass on the message to Amber.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"So what is this about?" Patricia asked. The Sibuna members had all gathered in Nina's room to hear what she and Eddie had to say.

"I had a vision," Nina answered. This caused the group to groan.

"I thought we were done with creepy spirit visions!" Amber exclaimed.

"What was your vision about," Fabian asked his girlfriend.

"It was just a voice. It said " _The next ruler of Egypt will soon be here_ "." Nina recited.

"But that's impossible," Fabian responded. "The monarchy of Eqypt ended over 60 years ago. Even if one of the old royal family had a child, they would never be a ruler."

"Unless they don't mean the physical world," Alfie injected. "What if it means the next ruler of the Eqyptian gods?"

Everyone was silent. Could it be that it was time for Osiris to step down for another?

"But wouldn't he just have one of his own sons be king?" Fabian said. "Why would he need a new heir?"

"Maybe he needs someone to influence," Amber spoke up. "Like, a protégé. Someone he can mold into his idea of a king. Osiris already has sons, but they are too old and independent to be influenced by Osiris."

"Amber, that's actually… a really good guess," Eddie said.

"But if that's true, we might have a civil war on our hands," Nina added. "I'm sure that Osiris's eldest son expects to be king. A fight between gods and goddesses won't end well."

"I think it's time to hit the library," Fabian said, wearing his signature smile on his face when the group were about to break curfew.

Four hours and no sleep later, Nina and Amber quietly tiptoed out of their shared bedroom. It was midnight, and Victor would have gone to bed a while ago. Nina cringed as a piece of wood squeaked beneath Amber's feet. They both looked up at Victor's office, but sure enough the light did not flicker on. Taking a deep breath, they continued down the stairs. Fabian and Eddie were already waiting in the foyer. Alfie's door cracked open, and seconds later Alfie snuck out of his door, closing it quietly so he did not wake his roommate. Patricia arrived last, sneaking down the stairs quickly but carefully.

"Okay, let's go," Nina whispered. She held up her right hand to her eye. "Sibuna."

The rest of the group followed suit before walking into the kitchen. Nina pressed her locket into the key, causing the old oven to slide open.

Once they had successfully navigated through the tunnels until they reached the secret door to the library, the group split off to cover more ground.

"It's so empty now that the exhibit is gone," Amber noted. Nina muttered her agreement. After half an hour of searching, Alfie's fingers grazed over a green leather-bound book. What caused him to stop was a small tear at the binding. Alfie carefully thumbed the tear before taking it in two fingers and ripping a piece off. Sure enough, the true title to the book was hidden behind a fake pseudonym.

"The Future of Egypt," Alfie mumbled, grabbing the book from its place. Louder, he announced. "Guys, I think I found something."

Alfie rushed to the middle of the room, where Jasper's desk still stood.

"The future of Egypt," Nina said. Nina carefully opened the book, swatting away the cloud of dust released. "This book dates back to the 1800s."

"There is no author name," Fabian noted, clearly confused. "How can a book be published without an author?"

"Why was the real name hidden under a false one?" Alfie countered. "This book was obviously meant to stay well hidden."

Nina turned the page, eager to start reading. She skimmed the first page. "This is only talking about the physical world and the Egyptian monarchy."

Fabian noticed a small change of color in the book's second half. He quickly turned to the middle page and started skimming. "This talks about the gods."

Nina and Eddie exchanged glances. This could be what they were looking for.

"Is there anything about the next ruler?" Patricia asked.

"I don't know yet. I've only read one out of three hundred pages," Fabian began rapidly turning pages, reading a word here and there. Twenty pages later, Fabian's eyes focused. He read something, mouthing the words. He stopped suddenly, then looked up at Eddie, giving him a glare.

"What does it say?" Nina asked.

"The line of rulers is not hereditary. Father does not pass down the throne to son. Instead, the ruler picks the offspring of powerful mortals to be brought into the kingdom and become a god."

"So Osiris's sons know that they will not be the rulers," Nina sighed in relief. "Does it say who this ruler will be?"

"The King is only allowed to rule for ten millennia. The current reign will end in 2030."

"That's in 16 years!" Patricia gasped.

"In order for a new monarch to take over, the successor must be at least 16 years of human age."

"So the next ruler is going to be born this year," Nina realized.

"The stars have determined that the next ruler will be born of the bloodline of the High Priestess Amneris, and will have the gift of Osiris, like his father." Fabian then closed the book, pursing his lips together tightly.

"What does that mean?" Amber asked.

"The chosen one is a direct descendant of Amneris. The Osirian has Osiris's gift," Fabian stated. "Nina and Eddie are the parents of the next ruler."


	2. Done Deed

**A/N Against my better judgement I decided to upload another chapter to keep things going! I won't usually be updating this quickly in the future.**

 **Also, I changed my username to Emmalia Pendragon because I'm obsessed with the show Merlin currently and I figured that changing my name after a long hiatus was better than changing it after I came back for a while. Enjoy this chapter!**

 **Done Deed**

 _"Nina and Eddie are the parents of the next ruler."_

Everybody stayed silent. This news was a lot to take in. Nina finally broke the silence.

"That doesn't make any sense!" She exclaimed. "Eddie and I don't have a child, and we have never done anything to give us a child."

"It doesn't matter, it's going to happen with or without you wanting it," Fabian muttered, shaking his head. "If the gods have ordered it to happen, it will."

"So if you have a child, then he will be taken from you and become a god," Amber said softly. "But if you don't, the entire line will be destroyed and the world will be thrown off balance."

"You've been awfully quiet," Patricia scoffed towards Eddie. "You are going to be a dad, you should be excited."

"That's enough, Patricia," Eddie glowered. "This is serious. I don't want to listen to you be jealous of scornful, because obviously this is out of my control."

"Is there a chance that the book has it wrong?" Alfie asked. "After all, it's just paper and ink."

"Highly doubtful," Fabian muttered, closing the binding of the book firmly. Fabian shook his head before heading towards the door.

"Fabian, wait!" Nina called. She managed to stop him by the door. "Look, we don't know if any of this is true. It could possible mean people from our extended families, or maybe even super extended."

"There is never more than one person at a time from Amneris's bloodline in a generation, and Osiris's gift only exists in the Osirian, not anyone else," Fabian explained. "You and Eddie are going to be teen parents, and I'm not sticking around for that."

"What are you saying?" Nina asked, tears brimming at her eyes.

"If any of this comes true, we are over," Fabian responded.

"And if it doesn't?" Nina whispered.

"Then there's no reason to end what we have, is there," Fabian said. Nina looked up at Fabian with sad eyes before he walked out of the library.

"Nina?" Amber piped up.

"What?"

"Is it possible… that you are already pregnant?" Amber asked.

Nina turned around. "What do you mean?"

"It's just… it's already March, which means that the baby has to be born within the next 9 months."

"No… I can't be pregnant," Nina's hand reaches for her stomach. "It's impossible!"

Eddie walked up to Nina and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We don't even know if any of this is true."

"And if it is?" Nina asked. "What if it's all true? What if I am pregnant, or will be?"

"I'll be there for you," Eddie whispered, so only Nina could hear. Suddenly, Nina couldn't take it anymore. She burst out in tears and threw herself into her Osirian's arms. Eddie wrapped his own arms around Nina's small torso.

That night, Nina found herself not being able to sleep. Questions ran through her mind. _How would I tell everyone? Would I have to leave school? Would Eddie?_ Nina glanced over at the clock. It read 11:59.

Nina sighed, preparing for a long night. The clock changed to 12:00.

Then Nina blacked out.

When Nina woke up the next morning, her body felt warm. Nina slowly opened her eyes, but noticed something strange. The décor in her room had changed. Perhaps Amber had changed it, and Nina hadn't noticed.

However, Nina knew that Amber would never put an American Football star on her wall.

Nina turned her head around, and almost screamed.

Nina was laying in Eddie's bed, his arms wrapped around her, still fast asleep.

It was then Nina realized the lack of clothes both of them shared. Nina began to panic. She couldn't remember anything like _that_ happening last night, and _that_ is certainly not something she would forget.

Eddie was awoken by Nina's attempts to unravel herself from the blankets.

"Nina?" Eddie asked, rubbing his groggy eyes. Nina yelped, and quickly hugged a blanket up to her chest.

"Don't look!" Nina ordered. Eddie's eyes went wide.

"What happened last night?" He asked, turning to face the wall so Nina could put her clothes back on.

"I don't remember, but I can guess," Nina said sadly, trying to quickly pull a shirt over her head.

"Did we…"

"No, we woke up naked in the same bed because we didn't… OK I'm not even going to try to be sarcastic!" Nina exclaimed, allowing anger to fill her voice. Nina buttoned up her pants, her fingers shaking.

"Ok, you can turn around now," Nina told Eddie. Eddie flipped onto his other side, making sure the blanket around his torso didn't slip too far.

"The prophecy…" Eddie remembered. "We must have been possessed by something."

"I remember reading that the gods could control humans, but the humans would have no memory of the events," Nina said.

"So if we wouldn't procreate on our own, they forced us to," Eddie sighed. Nina's hand flew to her stomach, where she was sure a new life was forming. Eddie gave Nina a sad look, before it turned into a look of fear.

"What?" Nina asked. Eddie pointed behind her. Nina turned around, and found Fabian staring at the pair with an angry face.

"Nina, what are you doing here?" Fabian asked, frowning. Nina was certain he knew the answer.

"I don't remember, but I have to leave now," Nina quickly replied. Fabian stood up and grabbed Nina's wrist before she could leave.

"We are over," Fabian said calmly. Nina tried to act surprised, although she knew this was inevitable.

"I know," Nina whispered sadly. With one final glance at Eddie, Nina dashed out of the room.

"Where were you?" Amber asked, when Nina returned to their shared bedroom. "And what's up with your hair? It looks like you just had… oh no Nina you didn't!"

"I don't know, I can't remember," Nina cried, sitting on her bed. "I just can't remember!"

Amber quickly took a seat next to Nina and threw her arms around her best friend. "What do you remember?"

"Last night I couldn't fall asleep, but I blacked out at midnight," Nina stared. "When I woke up this morning, I was naked in Eddie's bed."

"Oh my god," Amber whispered. Louder, she added, "Nina, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know!" Nina sobbed. "I'm only 16, I can't have a baby!"

"Can you get a… you know…"

"No! I would never purposely lose the baby," Nina protested. "Besides not being able to live with myself, the gods would probably kill me."

For once, Amber had no words to say. What could be said to a girl who is being forced to have a baby, only to lose it after it is born? How would Nina explain that to everyone?

"Why don't we have a girl's day today?" Amber offered. "We can have a movie marathon, or do each other's nails, or go shopping?"

"Right now all I want to do cry," Nina admitted, though her tears had slowly stopped.

"Nina, maybe you should go talk to Eddie again," Amber said. "After all, he's the father. He's going to lose the child as well. If there is anyone who might understand what you are going through, it's Eddie."

"You're right," Nina said.

"But first, take a shower," Amber ordered. "And put on some fresh clothes."

One long, hot shower later, Nina found herself making her way downstairs. If there was one place Eddie would be during a crisis, it would be the kitchen. Sure enough, that's where he was.

"Eddie?" Nina said softly. The dirty-blond haired teen turned around quickly, his face softening when he saw Nina standing there.

"Nina," Eddie responded. As if a force was physically pulling them together, Nina and Eddie each practically ran forward into each other's arms. Nina felt tears streaming down her face, but she no longer succumbed to sobs.

"We are going to be parents," Nina laughed sadly.

"We are, aren't we," Eddie said. The two pulled away from each other, but Eddie grasped Nina's hand in his own.

"What are we going to do?" Nina asked. "If you don't want people knowing you are the father, we don't have to say you are."

"Are you crazy?" Eddie asked. "I would never make you do this alone. In a couple of weeks, when we are sure you are actually pregnant, we will tell everyone together."

"Together?"

"Always."

"So what does this mean for you and Patricia?" Nina wondered.

Eddie frowned. "I'm going to break up with her, if she doesn't beat me to it."

"Why?" Nina gasped. "I thought you really liked her."

"I do, but I can't exactly date her right now," Eddie said. "Plus, she's going to kill me so at least we won't be dating when she does."

Nina stifled a laugh. "We are such a mess."

Eddie smiled softly at her. "Haven't we always been?"


	3. Confirmation

**A/N Sorry I haven't uploaded lately, I was out of town for a couple of weeks. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter. Forgive me if there are any mistakes because I haven't edited it since before I left.**

 **Four weeks later (week four)**

Nina woke up to the overwhelming urge of vomiting. She dashed out of her room, barely reaching the toilets before losing the dinner she had eaten the night before. If she had any doubts about her pregnancy before, this bout of sickness definitely sealed the deal.

Nina started brushing her teeth, deciding to jump in the shower afterwards.

After her shower, Nina walked back into her room. It was Monday morning, but that didn't stop Amber from sleeping in past her alarm.

Nina started changing into her school uniform, but stopped when her shirt was off. Looking in the mirror, Nina placed a tentative hand on her bare stomach.

Movement from Amber's side of the room caused the American to quickly pull her sweater and blazer on, and then she proceeded to grab her bag and walk out of the room.

Downstairs, most of the house was congregated around the table. The smell of fresh bacon and sausage almost caused Nina to throw up again.

"Are you alright, Nina?" Mara asked, directing all attention to the secretly-pregnant teen. "You don't look so good."

"I think I have a bug or something," Nina responded, locking gazes with Eddie.

"Maybe you should see a doctor," Patricia said from the opposite side of the table. The combined look and tone to Patricia's voice convinced Nina that Patricia knew and was angry about the pregnancy.

"I'll be alright," Nina assured everyone, reaching forward to grab the only appetizing food, an apple, from the table.

Breakfast commenced as usual. Or at least, as usual as it could, given the circumstances. Nina remained oddly quiet, though since most of the Anubis residents had an idea of what was going on, no one pursued a conversation.

A wave of nausea hit Nina again, as she smelled a fresh batch of bacon being brought over to the table by Trudy. Nina tried to suppress the feeling, but became overwhelmed and ran from the room with a hand over her mouth.

A few minutes and one emptier stomach later, Nina emerged from the downstairs bathroom and reappeared in the kitchen.

"Nina, are you sick, love?" Trudy asked, rushing over and quickly putting a hand to Nina's forehead.

"I think I might just be under the weather," Nina replied. "Nothing too serious."

"Nonsense, you've barely eaten breakfast and you're already losing it," Trudy said. "You are sick. I'll call Mr. Sweet, let him know that you will be staying home for the day."

"Really, Trudy, I feel much better-"

"I will here none of this, you need to stay home," Trudy demanded, grabbing Nina's wrist gently and guiding her upstairs to her room.

Trudy fluffed up a pillow for Nina and ushered her onto the bed.

"I'll bring you up some breakfast, something simple that will hopefully not upset your stomach too much," Trudy promised before dashing off down the stairs.

At the table, Fabian was blatantly glaring at Eddie. The American teen knew why Fabian was upset, but was honestly quite tired of Fabian's glares.

"Would you stop that?" Eddie muttered.

"Stop what?" Fabian asked. "Staring at you? Sure, I'll stop in 8 months."

"What does that even mean?" Mara questioned from a few seats down from Eddie.

Ignoring Mara, Eddie said, "It's not my fault."

"It wasn't Nina's either, but quite frankly, she's getting the short end of the stick here!" Fabian exclaimed.

"Calm down, would you?" Eddie rolled his eyes. "Besides, you broke up with her, she's no longer your concern."

"Eddie's right," Amber pitched in. "And while you two are down here fighting over a girl who's… sick, Nina's trying to make the best of a bad situation."

This caused the two arguing boys to shut up. Amber smiled, pleased with herself for averting the situation.

"My, you lot sure are quiet today," Trudy noted once she reappeared in the dining area.

"It's a Monday," Amber shrugged, shooting Trudy one of her famous convincing smiles. "Oh, Trudy, do you think that you could tell Mr. Sweet that I'll be an hour late to school? My aunt is in town and the only time I can meet with her is this morning."

"Well, I suppose I can speak with him about it," Trudy promised while preparing a small plate for Nina.

Trudy picked up the plate and began for the stairs, but Eddie shot up and quickly stopped her.

"Let me," Eddie offered. Trudy smiled and handed the plate over to Eddie.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Come in," Nina responded when she heard a knock on the door.

"I bring the princess her breakfast feast," Eddie announced with a very bad English accent.

"Unfortunately the princess feels sick to her stomach and the mere thought of food makes her want to... well, you know," Nina shrugged.

"No, I don't, and I'm so sorry that you do," Eddie said sincerely. "Honestly Nina, I'm so sorry that you are going through this."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Nina begged.

"What do you mean?"

"Amber's skipping school to go into town and get me one of those pregnancy tests, so I can know for sure," Nina said.

Eddie chuckled at Amber's schemes. Though, it made Eddie happy to know that Amber was a friend that Nina could count on. Nina might have doubts about her situation, but Eddie was positive that the test would be, well, positive. Nina would need good friends for a long time.

"I have to get going to school, but I'll come back during lunch," Eddie promised.

"I'll have the results by then," Nina replied.

Eddie nodded slowly. "Okay," he said breathily. "Okay."

The Osirian left the room, leaving Nina to silently worry about the thing that she was desperately hoping wasn't but knew was true.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Oh, I can't look!"

"Amber, you aren't the one who might be, you know!"

"But I'm so nervous for you," Amber whined. "What if it's positive? I'm too young to be an aunt."

"Well I'm too young to be a mother," Nina muttered.

"Has it been three minutes yet?" Amber asked impatiently. "It feels like we've been waiting for hours."

Nina checked her watch, and sighed. "Time's up."

The two girls turned around to face the bathroom counter, on which sat the most important test Nina has taken.

"I'm not kidding, I really can't look," Amber squealed nervously, turning back around.

Nausea took over Nina again, but this time it was a nervous nausea. Nina took a deep breath before glancing down at the stick.

"Well?" Amber asked, biting her lip and furrowing her eyebrows together.

"I'm screwed," Nina sighed. "Wait, bad choice of words."

"Oh, Nina," Amber cried, pulling her best friend into a hug. "What are you going to do?"

"Talk to Eddie," Nina replied, pulling away. "We'll figure this out. We have to."

"But there's so much to think about!" Amber exclaimed. "Do you keep it a secret, do you tell everyone at school now, do you stay in Anubis, do you move into an apartment with Eddie somewhere, do you prepare for raising the baby, do you prepare to lose it, do you find out the gender early or-"

"Amber!" Nina yelled angrily. "Stop putting all of this on me, I just found out. I really don't need to think too far ahead."

"But you do!" Amber responded, pulling Nina down so they both sat on the floor. "My aunt just had a baby. She says that there is so much to think about, especially in the first trimester. A dietician is a must, I'll have my daddy coordinate one."

"Amber, that's really sweet but honestly I need time to think through everything first," Nina admitted.

"Ok, well just remember that I am always here for you," Amber promised. "110% of the time."

"I know," Nina whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. At this Amber pouted and pulled Nina into a warm embrace. Nina allowed her tears to flow properly for the first time, and Amber couldn't care less that her new blouse was probably going to be mascara-stained.

"I have to go," Amber muttered a few minutes later, once Nina had calmed down. "I've already missed chemistry and maths, and Daddy will kill me if I fail economics."

Nina nodded, laying down on her side. She heard the door open and close, and for the first time Nina felt truly alone.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

If there's one thing Nina should have counted on, it would be the fact that Eddie is horrible at keeping promises.

Lunch time rolled around and left without Eddie ever stepping foot into Anubis house. Nina wasn't even disappointed. Eddie may be her Osirian, but he wasn't her life partner. He wasn't obligated to help Nina in any way, and Nina recognized this fact.

However, she was given a glimmer of hope when Eddie burst into the room after school ended with a box of Chinese food in his hands.

"Nina, I am so sorry!" Eddie exclaimed.

Nina rolled over to face Eddie. "Don't be, it's not like we're talking major life changes or anything."

Eddie was unfazed by the sarcasm. "So the test was…?"

"What do you think," Nina mumbled, rolling back over so that her back faced Eddie.

"Okay, well, at least now we know for sure," Eddie tried, setting down the box of food by Nina's nightstand. "I got you food from that Chinese place down the street that I know you like."

Nina was silent for a moment, but muttered, "Thanks" before rolling back around and sitting up. The girl had not eaten all day, and was starving. The thought of food still made her queasy, but Chinese food was always her sick-day food so she hoped her stomach would be willing to tolerate it.

"So, what now?" Eddie asked quietly, taking a seat next to the now-eating Nina.

Nina simply shrugged, not having time to talk between shovels of food.

"Okay, yes or no questions it is," Eddie chuckled. Nina gave a small smile at this.

"Do we tell Trudy and Victor now?" Eddie asked. Nina shook her head "no".

"Do we tell them at all?" At this Nina gave Eddie an eye roll and a glare that Eddie knew meant "duh."

"What about the rest of the school? Do we tell them now?" No.

"Do we let them find out on their own?" Shrug.

"Do we raise the baby here?" Nina paused, and Eddie saw her eyes grow watery. "What?"

"What if we don't get to raise it?" Nina asked, her voice wavering. "What if she's taken away from us before we even get to know her?"

"First of all, I believe you mean "he"," Eddie teased, putting an arm around Nina. "And second, let's not worry about that. I think you're forgetting that we are literally the most powerful mortals on this planet. We can take whatever Osiris wants to dole out as punishment."

"Eddie, I'm not sure that we can take on a god," Nina said, shaking her head with wide eyes.

"I'll wage war on them singlehandedly if it means getting to raise our child," Eddie swore.

"You'd be dead in three seconds," Nina said innocently, turning back to her food.

"Hey!" Eddie exclaimed with a chuckle. "I think I'd last at least a minute."

Nina shrugged, which made Eddie bellow out a round of laughter. And for the first time in four weeks, Nina realized that she would never be alone.


	4. Support

**Week 6**

Nina managed to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone who was not in Sibuna. The nausea had not stopped, but luckily Nina was able to keep it under control so that Trudy no longer worried for her health.

One thing that Nina would not be able to hide for much longer was the growth of her abdomen.

She was only six weeks along, so the change was almost unnoticeable. Still, as Nina grazed her hands gently over her bare stomach, she could feel the smallest of bumps forming. Nina's bump was thankfully hidden by her uniform sweater and blazer, but she knew that in just a month those things would likely fail at keeping her secret.

Amber had insisted that Nina see the best ob-gyn in Liverpool, also insisted that she take care of any medical bills in the process. Nina had readily denied, saying that she would get a job to take care of bills, but Amber refused. No "niece or nephew of mine" was going to have a mother working a job and going to school while pregnant, she claimed.

So that's how Nina found herself in a taxi cab, sat in between Amber and Eddie, on the way to the ob-gyn office. Nina wanted to have a conversation with Eddie about the pregnancy, but was drowned out by Amber's rants about the importance of a name.

"If it's a girl, naming it something that ends in "a" will assure that she is seen as pretty, but ending in a "y" will probably pin her in the smart crowd. If it's a boy, name him something strong like "Daniel" or "Parker". Or maybe-"

"We're here!" The cabbie cut off Amber and was quick to accept her money and give her change.

"I guess we weren't the only ones wanting her to be quiet," Eddie murmured into Nina's ear. The American girl smiled and laughed quietly in response.

The doctor's office was located in a rather large office building, but luckily the OB-GYN was sat at the front, on the first floor. A luxury Nina figured that she would soon come to appreciate, but for now it seemed intimidating.

The waiting room of the office was surprisingly bleak, with gray walls adorned with photos in shades of blues and greens. Padded chairs lined the walls, a few of which were occupied by very pregnant women and their partners.

The secretary smiled almost too much as Nina walked up to the front desk with Amber.

"The pediatrician's office is actually on the third floor," She said sweetly.

Nina, a bit thrown off, opened her mouth to speak. Thankfully, Amber beat her to it.

"Oh, no, we're definitely in the right place," Amber said politely. "We have an appointment under Martin comma Nina."

"Oh, my apologies," The secretary said. She clicked on her computer a few times before handing a form for Nina to fill out.

"Thanks," Nina muttered, taking the clipboard and sitting in one of the chairs, Eddie and Amber sitting on her right. Nina glanced over the form, but realizing it was all insurance stuff, handed it over to Eddie.

"I don't have insurance that works here," Nina said.

"I'll have to call my dad to get insurance information," Eddie warned.

"Just say that you went to the doctor because you aren't feeling well and need the insurance information," Nina suggested. Eddie nodded and went into the hall to call his dad.

"I'm going to search for a bathroom," Amber announced before following going into the lobby area.

Nina sighed and reclined a bit in her chair, trying to suppress the sudden wave of nausea that hit her.

"Your first, I'm guessing?" A female voice brought Nina's attention back.

"Yeah," Nina chuckled lightly in response.

"Are you nervous?" The lady asked, her own hand resting on a swollen belly.

"Terrified," Nina admitted. "I'm not ready for this."

"You are, deep down," The lady assured Nina. "When I found out I was pregnant with my first, I thought that I was going to do everything wrong, and I almost considered adoption."

"Really?" Nina asked, wide eyed.

"Oh yes, I wasn't much older than you, actually," The lady responded. "I was a sophomore in college, and had an irresponsible night with my then-boyfriend. But I was lucky enough to have a very supportive family, and my boyfriend was all in. We're actually married now, isn't that funny?"

"That sounds amazing," Nina admitted. "I just wish that I had that same support."

"Well, your friend and boyfriend both seem very supportive," the lady noted.

"It's just, my pregnancy hasn't been the most… conveniently timed," Nina said.

The lady laughed. "They never are, dear. Not even a successful 30 year old who has taken classes and read books is truly ready for a baby. There's no way to be ready, and no way for it to ever be convenient."

"It's just, we haven't exactly told anyone yet," Nina muttered, feeling shameful.

"Oh, well I'm sure your parents will be supportive," The lady smiled.

Nina felt a pang of sadness, but covered it up with a grin.

"Nina Martin," A nurse called. Nina quickly thanked the lady before following the nurse into a room.

"Are you waiting on anyone?" The nurse asked. Nina thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"No, not on anyone that needs to be here," Nina decided. Eddie would understand, she thought. Nina just wanted to be out of this place.

"Alright, I'm just going to take your blood pressure and a few other tests, and then we'll get someone in to do an ultrasound, and then the doctor will come examine the ultrasound and answer any questions," The nurse informed Nina. Nina nodded in consent and stuck out her arm.

The nurse took her blood pressure, listened to Nina's heartbeat, and drew a small vial of blood before leaving to send in the doctor.

The door opened a few minutes later, and Nina was surprised to see that it was Eddie, not the doctor.

"I just spent the last five minutes running around the whole floor looking for you," Eddie huffed, clearly out of breath. "Only for the secretary to tell me that you went into your appointment alone."

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to get this over with," Nina said. Eddie sighed and took a seat in the chair next to the examination bed Nina was in.

A few minutes later the doctor walked in. She went over some basic information before squeezing cold gel onto Nina's stomach. Nina suppressed a gasp and grasped onto Eddie's arm, which he replaced with his hand.

The ultrasound flickered on, and the doctor focused the picture on a small black blob.

"There's your baby," The doctor smiled.

"Wow," Nina and Eddie breathed at the same time.

"You're only six weeks along, so there isn't much to see yet," The doctor said. "In your next appointment we should be able to see some arms and legs."

Eddie squeezed Nina's hand and offered her a warm smile, which Nina returned. However, the feeling of joy was quickly replaced by anxiety. The whole situation was now completely real. Nina had proof of a future human being growing in her stomach, and she had little choice as to her or the embryo inside of her.

The nurse, sensing Nina's discomfort, handed Eddie a cluster of tissues for her stomach and let herself out of the examination room with promises of a doctor being in soon.

"Nina, are you okay?" Eddie murmured quietly.

Nina shook her head. "Eddie I can't do this!" She exclaimed. "I mean, I'm barely not a child and now I'm supposed to be having one and he or she is apparently going to be whisked away from me the moment he or she is born and oh my god I have to go through eight more months of this, and everyone is going to know soon and I just don't know how-"

"Nina!" Eddie interrupted. Nina took a deep breath and met her eyes with Eddie's. "Nina, everything is going to be just fine."

"How do you know that?" Nina asked.

"Because you aren't doing this alone," Eddie responded. "You've got me, Amber, Alfie, Patricia, all of Sibuna who are going to help you. Not to mention Trudy, once you tell her."

"Trudy," Nina muttered. "How am I going to tell her? She's going to be so disappointed!"

"I think she'll be more disappointed if you try to hide this from her," Eddie pointed out.

Nina sighed in agreement. "Ok, I'll tell her as soon as we get back home."

" _We'll_ tell her," Eddie corrected.

Nina grinned. "We'll tell her."

Then Amber burst into the room. "Sorry, couldn't find the bathroom!"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Needless to say, Trudy did not react well to the news at first.

"How could you be so irresponsible?!" The house-mother shouted. "I've taught you better than this!"

"Trudy, it wasn't intentional—"

"And _you!_ " Trudy cut off Eddie. "You're the man, you're supposed to be in charge of yourself. What have I told all of you boys since day one? It's your job to have protection and it's your job to make sure you use it!"

Trudy continued ranting for a while, Nina and Eddie submitting to her words. They both knew that trying to argue the point that neither one of them even remembered sleeping together was pointless. Finally, after a solid fifteen minutes, Trudy's anger transformed into her typical excited-temperament.

"You two are going to make great parents!" She squealed bringing them both in for a hug. "Have you decided on where you're going to raise the baby?"

Nina's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't even sure that she would get to raise the baby.

Luckily, Eddie spoke up. "We were actually thinking of having it here for the remainder of our education, if that's alright."

Trudy bit her lip. "Well, I'd have to check with Victor, and we'd have to get the consent of the parents of your housemates, and of course the consent of your housemates. And then we have to get permission from the school board and from the Department of Human services. But if they all agree, then I see no reason why not!"

Nina smiled as if that long list didn't sound nearly impossible.

"Trudy," Eddie spoke up. "We haven't told anyone yet. Could you keep this between us until we tell the rest of the house?"

Trudy contemplated this for a moment. "I can give you until the end of the day but after that I really need to inform Mr. Sweet and your housemates' parents."

"Thank you," Eddie responded, placing a hand on a now panicking Nina's shoulder. Until the end of the day? That was, what, four hours? Four hours to figure out how to tell her closest friends that she would soon be a teen mom. Four hours until no one could look at her the same.

Four hours until she was the biggest target of pity in the entire school.

Everyone in Sibuna was aware of the prophecy that was written in the book. They all knew that Eddie and Patricia broke up, as well as Nina and Fabian. However, the soon-to-be-parents hadn't actually confirmed the news yet, so they figured this was as of a place to start as any.

Eddie and Nina told all of the members of Sibuna as well as Joy and Jerome to meet in Nina's room after dinner. If any of them had any suspicion as to what the meeting was about, it didn't show on their faces.

That quickly changed, however, when they saw the looks on Nina and Eddie's faces.

"Why do they look like someone died?" Alfie asked, turning to Amber.

"No one died," Eddie assured him. Eddie's eyes flickered between each member of the group. "Quite the opposite, actually."

"What do you mean?" Joy asked. Both Joy and Jerome weren't at the library when the prophecy was discovered, so neither had an inkling of a clue as to what was happening.

Nina contemplated the best way to say something. She opened her mouth, a long, thought-out explanation in her mind. "I'm pregnant." Okay, so Nina should have let Eddie do the talking.

"You're what?" Joy yelped over the sound of everyone gasping.

"Pregnant," Nina repeated. "It's a long story."

"This is why you broke up with me?" Patricia yelled at Eddie, standing up from her previous seat on the floor and jabbing a finger into Eddie's chest. "You said that you didn't have time for a girlfriend. You led me to believe this stupid prophecy wasn't true, but you were actually just sleeping with one of my friends! Fantastic, Eddie, just bloody fantastic."

Patricia stormed out of the room, the door behind her closing with a loud THUNK.

"So are we getting an explanation or not?" Jerome asked, his voice cutting the silence.

And so Eddie explained everything. The prophecy, the black-outs, the confirmation of the pregnancy, and finally the appointment today. No one dared speak up to ask any questions until the Osirian had finished his train of thought.

Joy piped up first. "How far along are you?"

"Six weeks," Nina said with a small grin.

"Are you… excited?" Alfie asked. Nina looked down at her shoes.

"Oh… that's the other part," Eddie said. "Most of you were there when we found the book with the prophecy, and as you know it said that when the "Next Ruler" it would become a god and go up into the immortal realm. That can only mean that as soon as our child is born, it will be taken away from us."

The room fell silent. The housemates all looked around at each other, no one quite sure what to say. Finally, it was Nina who spoke first. "But we don't know anything for sure. Hopefully that part of the prophecy isn't true."

Fabian shook his head and stood up, taking a step closer to Nina. "You know that's not how these things work," Fabian reminded her. "Egyptian prophecies are never half true. Either it's completely true or completely false. However, none of Frobisher's books have been false so far."

Nina winced as her breath caught in her throat.

"Thanks man," Eddie grumbled with a frown. "How reassuring of you."

"It's the truth!" Fabian protested with wide eyes.

"There is this thing called sugar coating," Amber interjected. "Maybe we should all learn to use it for a while."

"So what now?" Alfie asked, desperate for a change in mood.

"I guess we wait it out," Nina shrugged, silently thankful to Alfie for the topic change. "We have just over seven months until the baby is born. During that time Eddie and I are going to try to learn as much as we can about the gods, and hopefully prevent our child from being taken away from us."

"And by Eddie and I you mean the rest of us too," Joy corrected her.

"We can't ask you to risk your lives for us again," Eddie disagreed.

"Who said anything about risking our lives?" Joy asked. "Nina said that you need information. Well, luckily you live in a house with a bunch of people who happen to know a thing or two about Egyptian mythology. I'm pretty sure I speak for all of us when I say that we want to help you two in any way."

The rest of Sibuna muttered their agreements.

"We're in this with you," Amber said.

"All the way," Alfie added with a smile and a nod.

"All of you?" Nina asked, her eyes meeting Fabian's.

Fabian smiled. "All of us."

Nina felt her heart swell and she couldn't resist lunging forward and grabbing as many members of Sibuna as she could in her arms. Jerome huffed in disapproval and attempted pulling himself away from the group, but a hard elbow to the side from Amber made him give in and wrap an arm around Nina's torso.

The group eventually split up, everyone going to their separate rooms, save Nina, Amber, and Eddie.

"So this is really happening," Nina said, realization dawning over her. "We're having a baby."

"You're going to be a fantastic mum, Nina," Amber squealed. "And I'm going to be an amazing aunt! Ah, I can't wait until I get to dress up my little niece in all of my old baby clothes! I'll be buying her a bunch of new ones as well, naturally."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Eddie interrupted. "Who said anything about my baby being a girl? What if _he_ is a boy?"

"You don't get an opinion," Amber replied with a shrug.

Eddie's face scrunched in confusion. "I'm the father, of course I get an opinion."

"You don't have to push a baby out of you," Amber said.

"Neither do you!" Eddie protested.

"I will one day, so by correlation I get an opinion," Amber countered.

"That is ridiculous," Eddie exclaimed. Nina couldn't help but smile as she watched the two go back and forth in meaningless banter. The meeting with Sibuna had confirmed what Nina had already known—she had a large amount of support behind her. Nina knew that with her friends behind her, she could get through this.

So why did she still feel a sense that everything was destined to fall apart?


	5. Rumours

**Sorry that I haven't uploaded in such a long time! Something happened that unfortunately drew my attention away from writing for a while, but I finally got this chapter done. Just a heads up that I have started school back, which means that updates will be spread out since I won't have as much time to write nowadays, and I don't want to sacrifice quality for quantity.**

 **Week 12**

Nina frowned as she stared at herself standing sideways in the mirror.

Her ever-so-slender figure was disrupted by her belly, which was now protruding just enough to be noticeable. Nina's loose-fitting pajamas could hide the bump, but under her school uniform the bump made Nina look like she had put on a few pounds.

"You look fine," Amber insisted. "Amazing even. People would kill to have your body, even when you are pregnant."

"Don't lie to make me feel better Amber!" Nina exclaimed, anger lacing her voice. "I am starting to get fat, why won't anyone just say it?"

"OK, it's true you're starting to get fat," Amber shrugged. Nina threw a death glare at her best friend before grabbing her school bag and storming out of the room. "You said to tell the truth!" Amber's voice echoed down the hall.

Nina entered the dining area in a haste, throwing her bag on the ground and sitting in her chair as quickly as she could. Nina grabbed as much food as her plate could handle, which did not go unnoticed by the rest of the house.

"OK I know she gets pregnancy dibs but come on, there are nine of us living here," Jerome protested.

"Jerome, leave her be!" Mara, who had learned about the pregnancy soon after Sibuna, scolded. Nina smiled at Mara in thanks before continuing to eat her meal.

Eddie had taken up the particularly annoying habit of never letting Nina out of his sight whenever she left the house. Nina wanted to go to the library? Eddie tagged alone. Nina had to go to a study group? Eddie went with her. Nina went for a walk specifically to get away from Eddie? Eddie joined her.

Of course, Nina knew that it was partially the Osirian part of him protecting the newly-vulnerable Paragon part of her. Eddie had fallen into a sort of syncopated step with Nina. He could finish her sentences, bring her whatever food her stomach demanded without being asked, and always make an excuse for her to be leaving class when she felt ill before she even felt ill.

In return, Nina found herself heavily empathizing with Eddie's emotions. She knew when he was worried, or angry, or extremely happy and could always respond accordingly. Nina could make complete sense out of his intelligent-yet-disconnected thoughts. With a simple touch, she could bring his wandering mind right back to the world.

Nina could also feel that the baby was already connected to Eddie as well. At first, Nina was upset that her pregnancy was resembling anything close to magic when she felt herself literally being drawn to Eddie in a room through her belly. She could feel an actual pull towards wherever he was when Nina wasn't close to him, a feeling that she still is getting used to.

A feeling that she felt the moment that Eddie walked into the room. Everyone's eyes attached to Eddie as he put a possessive hand on Nina's shoulder, sitting down in the chair on her left as per usual. Eddie threw Nina a quick smile before delving into the food himself, eating nearly as much as Nina.

"Ok, I thought only Nina was the pregnant one," Jerome joked. "Are you knocked up too?"

"I'm a growing boy Jerry," Eddie countered with a smirk.

Breakfast passed in a familiar ease. Nina shared in effortless conversation with Eddie, then Amber and Mara. Nina even exchanged a few words with Patricia, who had begun to forgive Nina and Eddie for their secrecy. Nina even spoke briefly to Fabian, who Nina was trying her hardest for forgive for leaving her when she needed him most. Her smile fooled the rest of the house, except for Eddie, who watched the two converse with narrowed eyes and a tilted head, as if waiting for the right minute to attack.

Thankfully, the end to breakfast meant that Eddie didn't have to attack anyone. As per usual, the American boy collected both his and Nina's bags, wrapping a possessive arm around Nina's torso and leading her out of the house.

"Are we sure they aren't dating?" Mara asked quietly as they left.

"No way, Nina would tell me," Amber assured her, and the rest of the remaining housemates. "Besides, Eddie's just protective of his baby. Paternal instinct."

An instinct that flared to life the second he and Nina stepped into school. Time seemed to halt, as every student in the hall's head snapped towards the two. Girls started whispering to their friends, guys huffed with smirks on their faces, and the few teachers gave the pair disappointed looks.

"What's going on?" Nina mumbled to Eddie.

"I'm not sure," Eddie replied quietly. He glanced over to the water fountain, where a slightly younger boy stood, watching the two. "But I have a feeling."

Eddie broke away from Nina and stormed over to the boy. "Nathan, what is everyone talking about?" Eddie demanded.

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know."

"You know everything," Eddie scoffed. "Now I'm only going to ask one more time. What is everyone talking about?"

Nathan didn't flinch as Eddie stepped closer to him, trapping him against the wall. "Oh, the rumour mill has started spinning. It's probably not true, except there's proof that it is."

Eddie's heart lurched, because he already knew what the gossip was. "How did people find out?"

"Sabrina had a massive headache and went to the nurse's office. Guess she saw Nina's updated medical records," Nathan responded coolly. "She told Natalie, who told Jackson, and so on. You know how it is."

"And everyone's believing _Sabrina_ of all people?" Eddie exclaimed. "The same Sabrina who tried to convince everyone that Robert Pattinson was going to be going to school here for three years?"

"She might have sent out photo evidence," Nathan shrugged. Then with a smirk, he added, "That's the reason why she and Fabian broke up right?"

"What?" Eddie asked.

"It's true, right?" Nathan inquired. "He didn't want to be a dad, so he broke up with her?"

"Wait, people think that _Fabian Rutter_ is the father?" Eddie's mouth gaped open.

"Well yeah, those two were dating for a while," Nathan said. "And no one else is 'fessing up."

"Not exactly an easy thing to admit too," Eddie grumbled to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing," Eddie responded, louder. "Fabian isn't the father. Spread that around, would you? The last thing I need is Stutter-Rutter hating me even more because people thing he's the father."

"Wait, if he isn't, then…" Nathan gasped. "It's _you!"_

"Yeah, it's me," Eddie confirmed, albeit rather coldly.

"But how? I mean, you and Nina aren't-"

"I'm not explaining the circumstances of Nina's pregnancy to a sophomore who doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut," Eddie interjected. "Especially not to my little cousin."

"So does this mean I'm going to be like, an uncle once removed or something?" Nathan inquired.

"No, it means that for the next few months I'm going to be pissed if I hear people gossiping about Nina," Eddie warned. "And I know that, for some reason unknown to mankind, Sabrina and her cronies actually listen to you sometimes. So can you please try to kill this?"

"Kill it? No," Nathan admitted. "But I can probably contain it. Probably. Maybe. I'm not sure."

"Gee thanks," Eddie rolled his eyes. "That really reassures me."

Nathan smirked. "What are cousins for?"

"Being extremely annoying," Eddie said with a grin, pulling Nathan under his arm and giving him a quick noogie. Nathan groaned in resistance and managed to hit Eddie's stomach with his elbow, giving the younger teen just enough time to escape. Eddie chuckled at the antics before walking back over to Nina.

"What did he say?" Nina asked, her eyes flickering with worry.

"Sabrina found your medical file," Eddie sighed. "Guess she decided to tell some people."

"Oh great," Nina groaned, leaning back against a locker in a defeated slump. "If _Sabrina_ knows, then that means everyone knows."

Eddie placed himself next to Nina on the short row of lockers. "Well at least we don't have to deal with telling everyone."

"Always the optimist," Nina muttered. With a deep breath, Nina stood back up straight and gently fixed her blazer. "Okay, let's do this."

Eddie raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Do what, exactly?"

"I don't know, hold our heads up high, ignore the rumors?" Nina offered.

"Ignore the true rumors, okay sure," Eddie laughed quietly, ignoring Nina's slight look of dismay on her face. The pair of Americans walked down the long hallway together, both trying their best to ignore the harsh looks and whispers directed at them from every angle.

The situation only grew worse as Nina and Eddie entered into their history classroom.

"Look who it is, Liverpool Prep's newest slut," A girl shot at Nina from across the room.

"And don't forget her poor Baby Daddy," Another added with a smirk. "It's so cliché isn't it? The principal's son and the orphaned American girl."

"You're right!" The first girl cackled, leaning forward to high-five her friend.

"Ignore them," Nina said to Eddie, placing her hand on his wrist. Eddie let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding in, and relaxed his clenched hands.

"Sorry," Eddie murmured back. Nina gave him a sad smile before taking her seat next to Fabian. The brunet whispered something to Nina that Eddie couldn't hear, and in response Nina nodded and leaned in for a quick side-hug.

Eddie in turn took a seat next to Joy, who offered her own condolences for the situation.

"It sucks that people are jumping to all these conclusions," She said. "If only they knew what you and Nina were really facing, then they wouldn't say these horrible things."

"Yeah, well, that's part of the destiny," Eddie sighed. "Things happen to us that the world can't know about."

"Just remember, you've got a whole house of people who know the truth and who are in this with you," Joy reminded the Osirian. Eddie's eyes drifted across the room to Mara, who was chatting quietly to Patricia.

"Not a whole house. At least, not yet."


End file.
